It is known that residue from oil and gasoline spills at service stations, parking lots, and similar sites commonly remains at the site of the spill until washed away with water by way of rainfall or a hose cleaning operation. In order to prevent the residue or spilled material to be washed to a drain and carried to and mixed with the water supply from which drinkable water is taken, drainage systems attempt to remove particulate matter and filter contaminants, from the water. Similar problems and environmental concerns arise at alternative sites such as in a leeching pool designed as a detention basin, for filtering, for example, waste water, storm water, free-phase organics, petroleum spills, non-point source discharge water, vehicle wash down water, waste water from secondary containment dykes, excavation and construction sites, underground storage removals, emergency response conditions, remote wash down areas, and captured water at stream crossings for timber cutting sites.
In the event that these are permanent sites with access to storm drain systems, the storm water or waste water is typically treated with separation and filtration devices, such as commonly owned Aqua Filter Filtration Units, similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,545, and Aqua Swirl Separation Units, similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,473. However, for storm water and waste water that accumulates at construction sites, environmental remediation sites, emergency response situations, and remote wash down areas, there is generally no permanent water treatment installation available even when access to a drain system is possible.
Accordingly, it is frequently necessary to pump the storm or waste water into large container trucks for transport to treatment facilities, which is a slow and costly undertaking. Alternatively, holding ponds may be constructed, again an expensive and time consuming alternative. The present invention provides a mobile water treatment system which can be transported to a construction location or other storm water or waste water site on a temporary basis and used to treat the water by removing free and dispersed oils, capturing floatable debris, sediment and settleable solids and optionally filtering for particular contaminants or biohazards at a relatively high flow rate such that the water is suitable for introduction into a municipal drainage system or release for percolation into ground water or discharge into local water supplies.